In early September Shawn posted the first trailer for Barry Levinson’s The Bay. I hadn’t heard of the film before that, but after watching the preview I was instantly excited and couldn’t wait for the feature to release. The Bay hit theatres and VOD two days ago, and I made it a priority to check this one out as I’m generally a fan of found footage films (minus absolute crap like the abysmal Paranormal Activity 4).
The found footage style is typically used to enhance the sense of realism in a film by putting you right in the action. Because you’re witnessing events through very few points of view, the sense of mystery and scale are also substantially different from standard films. After seeing The Bay, I can honestly say that you’d be hard pressed to find a film that feels more real than this. You could literally show The Bay to someone who had never heard of it (which seems to be most people at this point), and they’d be likely to think it was a documentary. The whole thing feels and looks that realistic.
Must. Resist. Swimming.
The fact that the film treats itself similarly to a documentary certainly adds to the realism as well. The Bay opens with flashes of real news footage depicting swarms of dead fish, birds, and other mysterious happenings. It explains that while these events where heavily covered by the media, what you were about to witness was never made public. It was only after all media from that day was leaked by a Wikileaks type source (over 3 years after it happened) that anyone started to believe what had transpired.
Nobody seems interested in helping their neighbors.
The Bay takes place in the small town of Chesapeake Bay during the 2009 4th of July weekend celebrations. Weeks earlier a pair of marine biologists warned the town mayor of the dangerous levels of toxicity in the area’s water (and steroids among other things due to the mass amounts of chicken waste constantly being dumped there). The mayor withheld this information from the public, not wanting to cause any controversy before the upcoming local elections. This is obviously a poor idea, and on the day of July 4th, a parasitic pandemic begins in the area. Anyone who ingests any water (whether drinking or while swimming) becomes host to the isopod larvae (which grow to full size in a matter of hours due to the steroids and high temperatures of the bay). These things disgustingly eat right through their hosts on their journey to freedom, typically killing them in the process. The Bay portrays the events in the town as they occur from a few different perspectives (a confused reporter, and a terrified doctor make for the most interesting), as well as communications with the CDC as they attempt to make sense of the terrors that are ripping the town apart.
Kether Donohue is believable and gripping.
The film is further enhanced by the strong performances that it offers. Every character that has a camera turned to them looks absolutely horrified at what’s occurring around them. Each gives of a sense of confusion and terror that never wavers throughout the whole of the movie. Kether Donohue (Pitch Perfect) gives a wonderful performance as both the heartbroken narrator of the title and a student reporter that finds herself caught in the middle of the terror. Kristen Connoly (The Cabin in the Woods) believably plays a happy new mother on her way to the cursed town, unaware of the fate that awaits her family upon their arrival.
Isopods: not even once.
As I mentioned above, the film feels shocking real. The fact that everything explained during its duration is perfectly plausible is the most terrifying thing of all: why couldn’t this happen? What the fuck happens if it does? I’ve calmed down now, but as the credits rolled I was literally thinking “I’m never freaking swimming again”. The Bay is just that believable, The Bay is just that scary, The Bay is just that real.
The only major issue I can see people having stems from the marketing of the film. While it may be terrifying, The Bay is not the horror movie it presents itself to be. The few jumpy moments that it offers are covered in the released trailers and clips. Again, while you’re bound to be scared and disturbed throughout the film, it isn’t for the reasons you think after checking out those marketing materials.
Shhh. Tell your friends it’s real.
In my opinion, The Bay is the best and most effective found footage film ever (though I’d love to hear your opinion). While you may not be sleeping with your lights on afterwards as some did with Paranormal Activity, it will definitely make its way into your thoughts the next time you head to the beach. Like Contagion (though much more memorable), The Bay gives us a window into a horrifying pandemic that destroys not only lives, but an entire community. Another scary aspect of the film is the idea that none of this should ever have happened, and that human greed and corruption can lead to the deaths of many.
Take a trip to The Bay, just stay out of the water. The Bay scores a handheld 4/5.
